


Never Were There Such Devoted Sisters

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Starting Over [13]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-08
Updated: 2012-05-08
Packaged: 2017-11-05 00:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/400071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I assumed our initial encounter was going to be awkward no matter what but cupcakes surely eased the tension.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Were There Such Devoted Sisters

**Author's Note:**

> Though Hotch and Beth are canon, I do follow my fanon lines that Sam Kassmeyer survived the Reaper attack and is now married to Hotch’s sister-in-law.

She was coming out of the florist shop when her phone started ringing. Of course it was in the bottom of her purse so she stopped everything, moved over to the curb, and tried to dig it out before it went to voicemail. This was no easy feat with a dozen dahlias and a grocery bag in her hand. But she made it. Not recognizing the number, Beth just answered.

“Hello.”

“Hello is this Beth?”

“Yes, who am I speaking to?”

“Hi Beth this is Jessica Kassmeyer.”

“Aunt Jessie?” Beth asked before she could stop herself. Then she laughed. “I'm sorry, I just…I'm used to hearing you referred to as that.”

“Yes, this is Aunt Jessie. I hope you don’t mind that I'm calling but Jack is staying with us while his dad is away and we’re making cupcakes for his school fundraiser. He thought it might be fun if we invited you over to help.”

“Oh wow, really?” 

She never expected to hear something like that. She knew Hotch was away on business; he was away a lot. She also knew that Jack stayed with Aunt Jessie and Uncle Sam with the bionic knees when his father wasn’t home. They lived in Fairfax, which was about a half hour from Alexandria, where Hotch lived. Jessie was his late ex-wife’s sister but Beth had never met her or Sam. She had no idea where Jessie would've gotten her phone number.

“I know this call is a little unexpected but Jack thought it would be fun. He gave me your phone number to call.”

“Oh. Um…” Beth started walking toward her apartment. “I’d love to. I'm just heading home right now; I have some things to drop off. I don’t know how long it might take me to get to you but I’ll get there as quickly as I can.”

“There's dinner here if you're hungry so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I'm starving actually. It was a long day and I went in early so I could leave and have a nice evening off. What better way to spend it than baking cupcakes. Just let Jack know that I'm a little better at that than I am at checkers.”

“I will.” Jessie replied laughing. She gave Beth the address and told her she’d see her soon.

As she hung up she was still baffled by the phone call. It made her a little nervous. Jessica was actually going around Aaron and trying to meet his girlfriend. She was definitely the girlfriend now. Maybe Jack talked about her; maybe Aaron did. 

Beth didn’t know much about Jessie except that she was Haley’s sister and liked Legends of the Fall. She knew that Jessie met Sam because he was protecting Haley and Jack when George Foyet threatened their lives. She only knew what she looked like from the pictures at Aaron’s condo. Was going to meet them without him a good idea? Should she call and see if he was comfortable with that first? 

The last thing she wanted to do was invade on his family space. He was letting her in and things were good right now. They would probably be better if the couple could spend a little more time together. But Beth was happy knowing that what free time Aaron did have, he wanted to spend some with her. As she quickly put the groceries away, the flowers in water, and went to change into some comfortable clothes, Beth sent Hotch a text message.

‘ _I don’t even know where you are but do you have a minute to talk. Something strange just happened and I'm not sure how to react to it_.’ –Beth

She was surprised that her phone was ringing before she put it down on the nightstand. It was him; the Beatles ring tone gave him away. Beth answered as she went over to her dresser to grab jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

“Hey, I have you on speaker.” She said.

“Are you alright?” he asked in serious FBI G-man mode.

“I'm OK. I just got a call from your sister-in-law, Aaron. She asked me if I wanted to come over to bake cupcakes for Jack’s school fundraiser.”

“Jessie?”

“Do you have another sister-in-law?”

“No. Um, she called you?”

“Yes, she said Jack gave her my phone number.”

“I never gave Jack your number.”

“Could he have gotten it from your phone?” Beth asked.

“I have no idea. Jack knows he's not supposed to play with my things. I have no idea what's going on.”

“Don’t call her or anything, I just wanted to make sure you were alright with this. I don’t want to invade parts of your life that you're uncomfortable with and…”

“It’s fine. It’s a little weird but its fine. Jessie is um…when she wants something she goes and gets it. I guess she thought it was time to know you. I'm sorry for the strangeness of the event.”

“It’s OK. I want to do this but I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t something that was going to cause friction between any party involved.”

“No, I'm OK. Are you OK?”

“I'm looking forward to seeing Jack. I told Jessie to let him know that I'm better at baking than checkers.”

“That’s good to know.” Hotch laughed some.

“I don’t want to keep you from work. I need you to do what you do so you can come home to me.”

“It’s pretty crazy here at the moment.”

“Well I’ll let you go. Maybe if you get some free time later you can call me.”

“Text me when you get back to Georgetown. I've been…” he sighed. “I've been thinking about you.”

“Ditto. You didn’t have clothes on in my thoughts.”

“Stop.”

“He says in that ‘don’t stop’ tone of voice.” She laughed.

“We’ll talk later.” Hotch replied.

Beth could tell he was smiling, which surely wasn’t allowed when he was being BAU Unit Chief. She’d better quit while she was ahead.

“I’ll see you, Aaron. Be safe.”

“Have fun tonight.”

“I’ll text you a picture. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Beth thought, hoped, that she heard longing in his voice as the phone call ended. She missed him something fierce. Being apart was not easy in the honeymoon phase of the relationship. And now that they’d gone all the way to the next level it was even more excruciating. 

But it made those moments when they were together that much better. Whether they were spending time with Jack or alone, just being with Aaron Hotchner made her feel so good. She wasn’t sure yet how being with his family would make her feel. This renegade cupcake baking session would be very interesting.

***

She found the house quickly; it was as lovely as every other house in Fairfax. She pulled into the driveway where a Dodge Durango was already parked. It was ridiculous how fast her heart was beating. Before Beth got out of the car, she sent another text to Hotch. ‘ _I don’t know why I'm so nervous but I'm going to have fun tonight_.’ –Beth.

She was surprised to see a response before she got to the front door. ‘ _Be yourself. It’ll be impossible for them not to adore you. I do_.’ –Aaron. OK, that went a long way to making her feel better. The front door was open but the security door locked. Beth rang the bell, recognizing Sam’s walk immediately when he came to answer. He was Uncle Sam with the bionic knees.

“Hi there, you must be Beth.” He opened the door and let her in.

“Yes, Beth Clemmons.” She shook his hand. “You must be Sam Kassmeyer.”

“Yes I am. C'mon, the party is in the kitchen.”

She walked back with him, taking some time to adore the tasteful décor of the living room and dining room on the way. Sure enough, Jessie and Jack were in the kitchen baking. Oldies played on the radio and a chubby, sweet faced baby boy sat in a high chair.

“Hi.”

“Hey Beth!” Jack rushed over and gave her a hug. “We have to make a lot of cupcakes.”

“I see that. I'm here to help.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jessie said, coming around the counter to shake her hand. “I'm sorry for the strange phone call earlier; I'm sure I'm the last person you expected to hear from. But Jack thought it would be fun to invite you over.”

“I'm glad you called.” She replied. “Who is this adorable young man?”

“This is our son, Michael. He's nine months old and I just got him to stop whining about being trapped in his high chair. He thinks he can walk so if you don’t keep a close eye on him things quickly go awry.”

“I suggested an ankle monitor but his mother didn’t like the joke.” Sam smiled.

“A little fugitive humor?” Beth asked.

“Exactly. See Jess, Beth gets the joke.”

“Haha.” Jessie playfully rolled her eyes. “Are you hungry? We’ll get some food in you before we work you to the bone. Sam made some amazing beef stroganoff. You don’t have any mushroom allergies do you?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Mushrooms are fine.”

“I’ll make you a plate. Jessie you should check the batch.”

“We’re making five dozen for tomorrow. I wanted to do this the day before yesterday when I had more time but fresh is best.”

“What's the fundraiser for?” Beth asked, leaning across the counter. Jack was occupying himself licking a beater. She remembered those days well. At seven that was her baking expertise as well.

“Jack’s school is raising money for the music department. They want to make sure the kids can have access to learning how to play instruments. So the PTA wanted to help. I'm the recording secretary.”

“Oh that’s nice.”

“Its nerve wracking as a matter of fact.” Jessie smiled. “But I know its something Haley would've done so I do it.”

“Here you go.” Sam put the plate down on the counter. He also got her a glass of iced tea.

“How's the batter, Jack?” Beth asked.

“It’s yummy. We’re making red velvet cupcakes. After snickerdoodle cookies it’s my favorite dessert.”

“I was just thrilled that it actually comes in a box now.” Jessie pulled a dozen cupcakes out of the oven and sat them to cool. “If not…it would've been something completely different.”

“Red velvet cake comes in a box now?”

“That’s news to me too.” Sam replied.

“Its really good news.” Beth smiled. “I love red velvet cake.”

“Wanna lick the beater?” Jack asked, holding it out for her. “There's a bunch left.”

“I’ll wait until the next batch but thanks so much. Thank you all for inviting me.”

“We thought it would be nice to have you over in a nonthreatening type situation.” Sam said. “I don’t think there's anything more nonthreatening than cupcakes.”

“Puppies perhaps but too many of them and you'd think Michael was a snap.” Beth laughed.

“I told you her laugh was happy, Aunt Jessie.” Jack grinned, showing off his missing teeth. It looked to Beth as if he lost another recently.

“Did you get a visit from the tooth fairy, buddy?” she asked.

“She's gonna come tonight. I'm hoping for a dollar this time.”

“How much did you get for the last tooth?” Sam asked.

“Fifty cents. Agent Emily says the tooth fairy has a lot of quarters but my friend Missy at school got a whole dollar. So I hope she gives me four quarters. I can't wait to see in the morning.”

“In this day and age of inflation I think she might be able to handle four quarters.” Beth replied. “Don’t you think so, Jessie?”

“Oh yeah.” Jessie nodded. “Tomorrow morning will probably be an exciting time around here.”

“I hope so.” Jack smiled as he went back to licking his beater. “Am I gonna get to eat a cupcake too.”

“You’ll take one in your lunch tomorrow.” His Aunt told him. “I'm already letting you lick the beater.”

“It’s good.”

“I know. Next time I think we’ll all get to sample the work.”

“I'm excited for a taste.” Beth said.

***

“I'm so glad you could make it tonight.” Jessie said as she poured Beth a glass of wine.

It was almost nine now. They were icing the last two dozen cupcakes after cooling. Jack was in bed and so was Michael. Sam, who had been helping as well, had gone into his study to do some “homework”, or that’s what he called it. So Jessie pulled out the Moscato and poured them both healthy glasses. She said she’d just recently started drinking again since she stopped pumping breast milk for Michael. Beth was impressed that Jessie breastfed for the first six months and then bottle fed breast milk for the next three.

“It did feel a bit strange when you called me tonight. I didn’t know Aaron’s family had my cell phone number. But I guess it’s a good idea in case you need him and we’re together.”

“Aaron’s job requires that he never turns his work cell off.” Jessie replied. “Jack gave me your number…he wanted to invite you. I was a bit uncomfortable but he was insistent. He thought it would be fun for us to do it together.”

“What made you so uncomfortable?” Beth asked, spreading cream cheese icing over a cupcake. She really wanted to eat a lot of these. They smelled amazing and looked even better. After the icing Jessie planned to top them with red glitter. She was really good at this.

“You're Aaron’s girlfriend. I know he didn’t date after Haley passed away. He may have after the divorce, I don't know and it was really none of my business, but her death devastated him. It was designed to destroy him…it nearly destroyed us all.”

“I lost my father recently so I surely understand the pain of loss.”

“It’s been almost three years but its still a struggle. I think the best thing for me to do is stayed focused on the good that can come from horrible situations. I love my husband with all my heart and soul.” Jessie smiled but there was sadness behind it. “I wouldn’t know he existed if not for what my sister went through. I’d like to think we would've met anyway, Sam is my soul mate, but I just don’t know. So when I miss Haley the most I thank her for being here when she was and thank her for bringing Sam into my life.”

“I did a triathlon.” Beth replied. “I doubt I ever would have if my father were still alive. I wanted to do a tribute to him; to thank him for raising me right. I met Aaron while I was training. So I know what you mean about focusing on the good.”

“I don’t know much about your relationship with Aaron and I won't pry.” Jessie said. “I just know that my nephew likes you and that makes me happy.”

“I like Jack a lot too. He’s so full of life and laughter and fun. I've been enjoying getting to know him better.”

“And you and Aaron have been dating since…”

“November.” Beth said. “We were training and dating at first and now we’re just dating. I make sure to always respect his need and desire to take things slow. I think it’s a little more than dating now though. I think Aaron would say the same.”

“How are you handling the insane hours he keeps?” Jessie asked. “Is that prying?”

“No, that’s logical.” The brunette laughed. “It can be tough, especially now when it’s all new and exciting. You want to be with that person you adore as much as you can. But his job is his job. Mine can be insane too and sometimes when he’s around I only have a few hours to spare. But I definitely want to spend those hours with him.”

“It got to be too much for Haley after a while. The Bureau is a demanding mistress.”

“I'm sure. Right now I'm just going with the flow. I like Aaron, a lot, so I'm confident we can make a real go of it. I’ll put in the work; he’s worth it.”

“Well here's to making a go.” Jessie held up her glass.

“Hear, hear.” Beth tapped her glass against hers. “Thank you for inviting me tonight, Jessie. I assumed our initial encounter was going to be awkward no matter what but cupcakes surely eased the tension.”

“If you and Aaron are together you’ll be a big part of Jack’s life. He’s a big part of mine. Sam and I are doing everything we can to support him and his father. That includes getting to know the other people in his life. 

It’s been a trying time for all of us. I won't even bother to lie. But the time has come to start moving on. Haley isn’t coming back but she left behind some amazing things. We all want to do our best to enjoy and nurture them.”

***

“What are you wearing right now?” Hotch asked.

“Something lacy, silky, and red.” Beth replied.

“Are you serious?”

“No.” she couldn’t hold back her laughter. “I'm in grey sleep shorts and a Dartmouth tee shirt. What about you?”

“I'm still dressed like Hotch.”

“Luckily he's quite a snazzy dresser. The shoes are especially a turn on.”

“His clothes aren’t comfortable anymore after ten o’clock.” He said.

“I just want to let you know that I don’t mind at all if you start undressing.”

“Duly noted. Did you have fun tonight?”

“I did.” Beth smiled. “We made cupcakes and sang the songs on the radio. Jack and I danced to _Brown Eyed Girl_ though I was informed that my eyes were blue so it wasn’t quite the same. I played with Michael…he's a gregarious character. And then after the kids were in bed and Sam went to his study to work, Jessie and I had a nice talk.”

“Are you allowed to tell me what you talked about?” Hotch asked.

“She just wanted to meet me. Not necessarily because I'm your girlfriend but more because I'm someone Jack has been talking about lately. Jessie doesn’t want to be worrisome and overbearing about things but she told me that since Haley’s death she does listen to how Jack talks about and reacts to the adult women in his life.”

“He hasn’t latched on maternally to Jessie. I don’t think that bothers her, she loves being his Aunt. I guess she just listens and observes to see who, if anyone, he will. I do the same.”

“Well Agent Emily has me beat by a mile.”

“Emily and I are just friends, Beth.”

“I know that. But Jack is enamored with her. I can't blame him…she did go off to save the entire universe. And he tells me she was successful.”

“That’s a true story.” Hotch replied. “I wish I could explain the connection those two have. I can't. But it’s strong and it’s been good for Jack since his mom died. I want him to get to know you too.”

“Oh we’re becoming good friends. He's a great kid and I'm fond of him. I'm kinda fond of his daddy too.”

“The feeling is mutual. It’s a little overwhelming but it’s definitely mutual.”

“The overwhelming part should dissipate soon.” Beth said.

“I don't know, it’s nice to feel a little out of control in a good way.”

“Out of control, huh? Tell me about it.”

“It’s getting late.” Hotch said.

“Saved by the clock, Agent Hotchner.” She laughed. “I miss your face.”

“I’ll be back soon. I loved the picture you sent me tonight. Jack looked very happy.”

“He was high on cake batter. It’s like crack to a seven year old.”

“Oh it’s like crack to a 45 year old too.” Hotch laughed. 

“I'm imagining you hopped up on sugar. Its one part adorable, three parts me looking for something to hit you on the back of the head with.”

“People don’t get to see that side of me very much. I don’t get to see that side of me.”

“Two words Aaron…Pixy Sticks. I’ll buy some Pixy Sticks and Coke; it'll be a party.”

“That sounds good. I better let you go now.”

“Have sweet dreams about me.” Beth said laughing.

“I think I might.”

“Well since we’re all about being on the same page, I’ll have sweet dreams about you too. Goodnight, Aaron Hotchner.”

“Goodnight. I um…yeah.”

“You're so cute. Bye.”

Beth hung up her phone, putting it down on the nightstand. She slid further down in bed, put her arms over her head and just sighed. It was a happy sigh, like she’d just eaten something sweet or heard her favorite song on the radio. She was crazy about this man. 

The relationship wasn’t going to be without its challenges, more so than most, but it was also going to be worth it. She felt it deep in her belly. It had been a while since Beth let herself feel that feeling about anyone. She would pick the most complicated man she could find, wouldn’t she? 

It didn’t matter because he was feeling it too. All the miles didn’t mean a thing. When Beth picked up her buzzing cell phone and saw the picture message from him, she was doubly sure. She opened it, laughing when she saw his serious face.

‘ _I seriously miss you_.’ –Aaron 

‘ _You see, that right there is why it’s impossible not to be crazy about you. This is entirely your fault_.’ –Beth 

‘ _I think you love it_.’ –Aaron

‘ _I think I do too_.’ –Beth

***


End file.
